Posts Tagged protest

The Lansing protest was organized by the Michigan Conservative Coalition and Michigan Freedom Fund, which has links to the family of Education Secretary Besty DeVos. Common Cause and other liberal groups say Meckler and Citizens for Self-Governance have long been aligned with conservative groups tied to Charles and the late David Koch, but Meckler laughs at the notion his group receives Koch money.

“If you know anybody with the Kochs and can arrange for financing, I’d be happy to talk, but it never happens,” he said.

“In the interest of public safety and the health of all Californians during the COVID-19 pandemic, effective immediately the California Highway Patrol will deny any permit requests for events or activities at all state facilities, to include the State Capitol, until public health officials have determined it is safe to gather again,” the CHP said.

But the pledge sparked a grassroots pro-gun movement whose size and intensity has surprised even longtime activists. In dozens of towns and counties, pro-gun Virginians have flooded local government meetings to oppose the new bills and to demand that their lawmakers pass “second amendment sanctuary” resolutions, which promise that local governments will not enforce state gun laws they see as unconstitutional.

An estimated 22,000 of them descended on Richmond, VA on Lobby Day in an effort to have their collective voices heard. Some in attendance balk at the estimate, saying at least 30,000 attended.

It’s not surprising that some lawmakers looked at that and recognized that if they value their political careers, they’d best take it easy on the gun control. While they might get away with something like a universal background check–polling suggests they might, though support for such measures shifts after the mechanics of the bills become public–so-called assault weapon bans are often a bridge too far.

Thanks to Second Amendment supporters around the Commonwealth ceaselessly voicing their opposition to a sweeping gun ban, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 10-5 to reject House Bill 961 on February 17th. Bloomberg’s House majority in the General Assembly is not going to deliver their most coveted agenda item to their billionaire master.

In the face of the harmful and derogatory notion that anyone with a gun is dangerous and that guns divide us as a nation, the thousands of men and women who stood in Richmond shattered these stereotypes. They proved actions speak louder than words as people from different genders, races, cultures, and socio-economic backgrounds shined a light on the fact that guns do not inherently generate more violence. Furthermore, it also highlighted that one’s right to protect oneself is rooted in diversity and a commonality that we all share, no matter our differences. What the entire nation witnessed was a clear message that not all laws are just or even enforceable, especially when they are a threat to liberty. After all, the world has not yet seen unarmed individuals dethrone any tyrant during times of upheavals. Thus, any government’s attempt to disarm its own citizens should be seen as a suspicious act.

I do not suspect this will be reported: A strong number of the folks carrying ARs also had medical or first aid kits on their persons. These were not individuals anticipating offensive action; these individuals were prepared to help.

Several distinct groups could be distinguished. A group from Pennsylvania sported signs that read, “Don’t VA PA.” Harsh, but fair. Texans carried the familiar “Come and take it” cannon flag. One gaggle carried the “An Appeal To Heaven” flag. The Pink Pistols, a national LGBT pro-gun group, was present, as was the African-American Black Guns Matter group. An untold number of signs reminded everyone that gun rights are women’s rights and that firearms are the great equalizers.

In what Vice called a “bizarre meeting of the minds,” Richmond-based Antifa Seven Hills also strongly opposes the gun measures now likely to become law since Democrats won control of both Virginia houses last year, and they too want Democratic leaders in Richmond to know.

It should be kept in mind that civil disobedience is a tool, and like all tools, it must be used properly to be effective. In essence, it is telling the government that it stands at grave risk of completely losing the consent of the governed. Such a loss of consent in the 1763-1776 timeframe led to the Revolutionary War.

In the immediate aftermath of the shootings in El Paso, Texas, which took place largely at a Walmart shopping complex, a number of celebrities and activists took to social media to urge the nation’s largest retailer to quit selling firearms and ammunition.

Miami Beach City Manager Jimmy Morales today sent a letter warning the mayor and commission that an unknown number of gun-rights activists planned to fish from the pier with their guns on display. They also plan to carry their weapons where everybody can see them while walking a mile and-a-half to and from the 12th Street Garage, despite the fact the city offered closer parking.

The American Civil Liberties Union will weigh its interest in protecting the First Amendment against its other commitments to social justice, racial equality, and women’s rights, given the possibility that offensive speech might undermine ACLU goals.

“Our defense of speech may have a greater or lesser harmful impact on the equality and justice work to which we are also committed,” wrote ACLU staffers in a confidential memo obtained by former board member Wendy Kaminer.

Only one player from an Illinois university’s football team remained on the sidelines during the national anthem Saturday night after the rest of his team staged a protest.

Millikin University offensive lineman Connor Brewer of Rochester, Illinois, stood by himself on the field during “The Star-Spangled Banner” and ran back to the locker room to join the rest of his team after it ended, the Herald & Reviewreported.